


A love game

by potaattitaatti



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: (dont ask about the sarukuro it just happened on its own), Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou Friendship, Crushes, Flirting, Fluff, Implied Haiba Lev/Yaku Morisuke, Love Confessions, M/M, Misunderstandings, Training Camp, dense owls, hints of Sarukui Yamato/Kuroo Tetsurou
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 07:01:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9224132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potaattitaatti/pseuds/potaattitaatti
Summary: If Bokuto Koutarou had known how dangerous children's camp games are, he would never had agreed to take apart on one.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for showning interest toward my story! I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Please let me know what you think - what's good, what's bad, how did it make you feel, how to improve it - through kudos and comments. I appreciate it a lot.

 

If Bokuto Koutarou had known how dangerous children's camp games are, he would never had agreed to take apart on one. 

It had been the fourth day of the training camp and the third year captain had been in a very good mood all day, which was, in fact, a little miracle on its own, considering how frequent his down swings had been for the past weeks. During the night, he had had a dream about being found as a long lost owl prince, whom was to save the world from smirking cat spirits (nothing to do with their victorious practice match against Nekoma the day before); there was his favorite cereals for breakfast, they lost none of their practice games of the day _and_  he didn't get distracted during the extra training. All in all, he had been feeling awesome, even more so because he had been able to not to think about the reason why everything had been so so chaotic inside his head lately - like even more chaotic than usually - and he felt pride swell on his chest. _I managed this day fantastically._

Maybe he shouldn't have been so proud of himself since the second he forgot that there was this tiny thing he needed to avoid, the very same thing was thrown right back to his face. Via children's game.

 

 

 

"Hey, Bokuto! We're starting a game, wanna join?"

"Yeah, sure!" Bokuto yelled - he would surely score and win _any_ kind of game, being the very awesome and best he is. He grinned as he flopped next to Kuroo where his bro had made space for him.

 There were some guys from Nekoma besides Sarukui, Konoha and Komi in the circle with them.  Apparently Lev and Yaku were having a lover's quarrel, because it very much looked like the small libero was trying - quite successfully - to suffocate the other one with a pillow. Tora was dying in his hyena like laughter while Konoha smirked and Sarukui settled for smiling amusedly.

_Ah, young love_ , Bokuto thought while taking a look at Yaku's face, red with anger, before remembering why love was something he shouldn't think about. _Not that I'm or will ever be interested in that sort of thing. Never._ Bokuto concluded, unusually stern look on his face while nodding to himself; Kuroo gave him an amused raise of an eyebrow.

"You ok there, bro? Don't damage your brain by trying to think too hard."

 "Shut up, I know!" The owl-boy blurted, not really listening to his friend. Kuroo suppressed a laugh.

 "Yeah, whatever. So, Sarukui, what's the deal with the game?" The Nekoma captain asked, "I mean it surely sounded funny when you mentioned it." This got a light chuckle from the dark haired third year.

 "Oh yeah, it is", Sarukui started explaining, gaining even the attention of Yaku and Lev who had stopped their bickering, "I learned about this game at one camp I attended as a kid. It's called 'I love you' and basically -" Konoha interrupted his friend by groaning loudly in a mock pain.

"Sounds horrible already. Please tell me this doesn't contain any dares to confess to your crush or some shit like that."

 "Yeah, I don't wanna do that either!" Bokuto exclaimed loudly, only adding when Kuroo gave him a sly smirk as if saying _bro you're so obvious_ : "Not that I have a crush or anything!"

 The whole ring of boys burst out laughing - except for Lev, who wasn't really one to catch up with things like that. Komi was actually _snorting_.

 "Hey!"

 Kuroo rolled his eyes, not giving his bro a chance to protest more. "Yeah Bokuto, we know you _aren't_ madly in love with a guy who happens to go by name Akaashi Kei-"

 "Don't say that aloud!" Bokuto shouted, face fuming red, slamming his hands on his friend's mouth. He was really starting to regret sharing some... thoughts regarding to a certain someone with the middle blocker. _Not that they were any inappropriate thoughts_ , Bokuto told himself, _just simple platonic admiring_. While the third year was having an inner battle, Konoha shook his head, clearly amused and ready to pipe in to tease his captain. Gladly Sarukui took a pity on the furiously blushing teammate of his.

 "Well, we all know in who Bokuto has absolutely _no_ crush on", he stated, a smile on his face, "but anyway, this game isn't about confessing your _true_ feelings, at least if you don't have a crush on the person to your right. It's about keeping a poker face."

 For Bokuto's record - bless Sarukui, that amazing being - his statement picked the interest of everyone. Kuroo whistled. "Continue."

 Sarukui smiled, happy to get the others to listen. "Rules are simple. Basically, you need to confess to the person on your right - you can use any kind of seduction techniques, flirting, exaggeration, just anything you can think of, while you declare your love for them - and try to get them laugh or smile. After the confession you need to ask them to smile for you, and the other one needs to decline by words like 'I'm sorry, but no, I can't smile for you' while keeping the straight face." The third year glanced the boys around him. "So if you make them laugh, they lose and are thrown out of the game; if not, nothing happens and the round goes on and on, until there's only last one standing. The winner."

 Appreciative humming and nods filled the group. "Yeah, sounds kinda fun", Tora said, while nodding his head. 

 "Okay! I start." Then he turned to Lev, a grin on his face.

 The game moved on pretty smoothly. Tora tried his best to make his underclassman laugh; he called the younger "my sweet pie" and "my darling little lion" and gave a prolonged speech with honey-filled voice about falling for the boy's "charming old-man colored hair style" and "cutely rude ambition of beating him as an ace" which, he added while batting his eyelashes, would only happen over his dead body. Unfortunately for Tora though, the younger teen was too oblivious to romantic and sexual things to crack - Lev's face stayed neutral even when the spiker mentioned his "devilishly arousing long legs". After finally giving up - "this round is just a warm up!" - it was Lev's turn to confess his undying love for Yaku. He got only a half a sentence out of his mouth before the libero attacked him again with a pillow for being called "cutely small". At the point Kuroo's laughter turned into outright howling. When the third year decided that his junior was beaten up enough he tried his luck with Sarukui, who, surprisingly for a guy who usually had a permanent smile on his lips, didn't even blink.

 Bokuto was having a great time - Komi was just being thrown out of the game for losing it when Sarukui climbed into his lap and wiggled his eyebrows - as a familiar voice spoke behind him.

 "What are you doing?"

 A yelp escaped Bokuto's throat; when had someone came there? He hadn't heard the door over the chatter and laughter of the game - and woah, more importantly, that voice belonged to...

 "Akaashi", Kuroo to Bokuto's left said, glancing at the younger with a smirk slowly growing on his lips. A chill run down the Fukurodani captain's spine. _That smirk never promised any good_.

"We're just playing one game, it's pretty fun actually."

 Bokuto didn't really listen when his friends explained the rules for his setter - all his concentration was directed in staying calm while being very self-conscious about the fact that the boy was standing so close to him. Like, he didn't dare to look, but he was sure that if he turned around, he'd be face to face with the younger's lean legs. Those very fine, lean legs... He squeezed his eyes shut and hoped his neck wasn't as red as it felt.

_This is ridiculous - Akaashi's my setter! And a friend! I've been around him constantly for the past two years, I've even hugged him for several times! Why should I be nervous just because I realized how amazing and funny and sharp and sassy and hot and perfect -_

 "Bokuto-san, are you listening?" This time, a little cry of shock spilled out of the third year's mouth. Komi, Konoha and Kuroo burst out laughing at their friend's manly reaction while Akaashi flinched, a grimace on his handsome face. Bokuto didn't even have time to get offended by the trio's snickering; when did Akaashi get so close? Close as in crouching-down-to-his-side-to-talk-to-him-face-to-face close?

 "Please refrain from trying to damage our auditory organs, Bokuto-san", the setter deadpanned, keeping his steady glare at his captain, "I just asked you to make room for me in the ring so I could participate too."

 "Pa-participate?" What an earth was his setter talking about?

 Kuroo laughed. "Yeah Bo, participate in the little game of ours", the smirk on the Nekoma captain's face grew as he turned his eyes from his friend to his bro's crush, "Your pretty setter here seems unable to back away from a challenge when being confronted with one."

"That's what you get for doubting my poker face, Kuroo-san", Akaashi shot back, "'let's see what kind of expression you'll wear when you've been crushed by your underclassmen."

Kuroo whistled. Bokuto just turned his head back from his setter to his bro, like being in the middle of a tennis match - he was too frozen by the younger's unwarned appearance to think straight anyway.

"Cocky one, aren't you. Well, there's only one way of discovering the winner."

Akaashi just nodded, giving a last challenging glance towards the middle blocker before shifting his attention to his captain.

"Bokuto-san, please make room for me."

That line and the younger's attempt to sit on his right side woke the third year finally from his daze - Akaashi was participating in the game! A game of confessing one's love! To the person on the right! And the setter was about to sit on his _right_!

"No, no, no!" He shouted suddenly, expression flushed and scandalized, making Akaashi to pull a face of distaste for the loud volume again. The setter hardly looked surprised for a millisecond, before a deeper scowl started to form on his face. The other boys, in comparison, seemed very amused, if their laughter was anything to go by.

"And why -"

"Be-because!" Bokuto interrupted, getting even more stern look from his junior, "Because! You should sit next to Kuroo! He uhm - smells and I don't want to sit so close to him!" Kuroo, who had been nearly choking on his laughter, sharpened suddenly while Konoha practically collapsed against Tora's shoulder, weird noises coming from his throat between the howling.

"Bro how dare you offend me that way! I have a charming scent - have you ever smelled yourself after the training?!" The raven haired teen questioned, annoyed. "Just because you don't want to confess -"

"AAAH no listening to that snake!" Bokuto screamed to cover his friend's voice, attempting to put his hands to his setter's ears to make sure the younger didn't hear anything about _the topic_ , but Akaashi just ducked out of his reach, straightening back to a standing position. He gave his senior an exasperated look.

"So you rather expose me to the unpleasant smell of Kuroo-san than yourself, Bokuto-san?" He asked, but still moved closer to Bokuto's left side.

"Hey! That's not very respectful towards your upperclassman!" Kuroo protested even though he too was making room for Akaashi to sit, seeing the desperate glance his bro sent his way. _You owe me_ , he tried to say with his eyes to Bokuto.

"My deepest apologies, Kuroo- _senpai",_ Akaashi replied while sitting down comfortably. Kuroo couldn't hold back a snort at the comment.

"You just wait, lover boy", the black haired captain stated darkly, chuckling at Akaashi's displeased expression for the nick name. Though before the younger could question it aloud, the others who'd been just observing the situation with amusement piped in.

"Looks like this'll be one hell of a battle", Komi chuckled, having too pleased expression for someone who'd been the first one to lose. "Guess I'll need to stick around for this."

"Of course, you need to cheer for the to-be-winner", Sarukui smiled as he shifted closer to Kuroo, still addressing his words to his teammate, "known as the one who already beat you."

Komi huffed in a way that could've been one of a mock exasperation, but Akaashi knew his senior well enough to recognize when he was, actually, slightly pissed. "For your information, my money, heart and support goes to my lovely underclassman here, not to you." Komi nodded his head in Akaashi's direction. The setter didn't really know whether to be pleased with the libero's trust in his poker face or annoyed that he'd already been called "pretty setter", "lover boy" and "lovely underclassman" within only few minutes. He sighed.

"Could we just start the game, please? We don't have the whole night to use."

"Yeah, that's right!" Tora exclaimed. "I want to get to beat all your asses already!" Following from the sidelines was making the excited spiker restless.

Sarukui let his typical smile grow a little devilish - Akaashi could have very much lived without seeing that kind of expression on his senior's face. "Of course", the third year answered and then turned his attention fully to Kuroo.

"One hell of a battle" had actually been quite a suitable  expression to describe the interaction between the two third years. Sarukui seemed to have quite a liking in sitting in others laps - Akaashi had already been informed about the case with Komi between the explaining of the rules - and certainly, the second year found himself surprised with his teammate's creativity when it came to pet names. Still, the Nekoma captain kept his straight face through every "sweet" word and overly-flirtatious touch given to him.

When the Fukurodani third year started to tell about how hard he'd make "his pretty kitten" moan in the collar he'd put on the "naughty boy of his", Yaku putted his hands on Lev's ears hastily, in a vain attempt to protect his underclassman's innocent mind. It wasn't until Sarukui's hand sneaked a little too close to Kuroo's "forbidden" area, _still moving further_ , that Konoha covered his eyes and screamed.

"No, no, stop! This isn't suppose to be some freaking under-aged porn! For God's sake, just, _please_ , Saru stop", he groaned in a pain which, this time, didn't seem the mock kind of one. Sarukui smiled, like sitting in the lap of the captain of an enemy team while nearly grabbing their crotch was a completely mundane thing to do.

"Oh? So this does bother you?" Sarukui asked, wiggling his eyebrows again, but still moved away from the taller teen. Kuroo finally let his poker face melt in to a shit-eating grin, accompanied with a devilish chuckling.

"I need to give it to you mate, I was actually having a very hard time staying neutral", the bed headed middle blocker praised, shaking his head amusedly. "Oh man, that was priceless. I did underestimate you."

Sarukui smirked, looking pleased with himself. "My, my", he hummed, "thank you. Now let's see what you got." Kuroo raised his eyebrows, the grin growing.

"Oh no worries. I'll be right in your back, confessing you to your bitter defeat in now time. Just gonna beat your little underclassman first", the Nekoma captain promised, turning his attention to the second year on his right.

Akaashi was still on the brink of an internal crisis because of the latest turn of  events; he was, in fact, very concerned whether his brains had gotten any severe damage, processing the things he had involuntarily sawn- and _heard_. Still, he didn't let it show on his face as he mentally shook the unpleasant memories out of his mind. Akaashi Keiji was used to picking himself up ever so quickly - it was needed when being the closest one to Bokuto - and his mind was set on winning the game. (Who cares if his upperclassmen, whom he had never ever pictured having any sort of sexual tension between them, just pretty much flirted the ever living shit out of each other. Winning was more important.)

And indeed; _winning is more important_ was a phrase he repeated over and over again in his head during his interaction with the Nekoma captain. For the sake of his own sanity.

"Keiji, you little pretty, pretty thing", the pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san started his attack. Akaashi held his impassive statue: he had already been prepared for the older boy's cooing and the caress of his cheek. For 0.05 seconds he was mentally startled to hear his captain gasp on his right though, the little sound escaping his senior's lips sounding almost scandalized. Still, he had no resources to check up on Bokuto - he needed to concentrate on wiping that smirk off the bed head captain's face - but he made a mental note to ask later if his upperclassman had, again, remembered something important he had accidentally forgotten before.

The setter's trail of thoughts got stopped or more precisely, returned to the phrase - _winning is more important, winning is more important_ \- by the sudden touch on his upper thigh. The oh-so-annoying face of the grinning third year got remarkably closer to Akaashi's own. In fact, it got closer to the point that he could feel the elder's breath on his lips. Not really a pleasant experience.

"You're so utterly _purrfect_ that you make me swoon", Kuroo whispered for the other boy, using his "wannabe-sexy and deeper-than-normal" voice, as his bro had quite offensively named it once. For the good measure he moved his fingers from the second year's cheekbone to his nape, starting to caress the smooth skin with soft, slow motions.  The team captain was, in fact, enjoying himself very much: it was satisfying to feel the ever so subtle shiver go through the "unbreakable" Akaashi Keiji when Kuroo shifted his face to give a feather-light kiss to the younger's hair. Even more so, when he knew it to be out of disgust; practically feeling the murderously cold aura surrounding the setter.

That was until a shocked gasp was heard.

The moment Kuroo glanced at Bokuto, he knew he'd taken his teasing too far. Being too engrossed by the possibility to rile up his bro's crush had made him nearly forget - it was his _bro's crush_. And his bro was actually a very sensitive, and a _very_ jealous one.

Kuroo mentally slapped himself - God help him for getting so away with the game, not thinking about his bro enough - and slowly pulled himself away from the younger boy, focusing his gaze back to Akaashi. The setter's face scrunched up for a millisecond. It was clear that he was puzzled with the hasty end of the middle blocker's attempt to win him, being prepared for a much longer torture. Kuroo felt like mentally slapping Akaashi, too: for someone who was greatly observant, the boy surely was slow to conclude _why_ his captain was making the noises and _why_ that meant Kuroo should stop.

Still, the Nekoma captain ended his turn with a suitable way for the game. "Akaashi, I love you. Will you smile for me?"

The raven haired boy had no problem keeping his composure while denying; he was even able to keep the frown out of his face too, which was a much harder task. Both his seniors besides him were acting weird - Kuroo had abruptly stopped his ever so confident harassing, which he had started in order to win, and his own captain seemed to have some kind of problem too, if the two weird gasps and the way he was petulantly turned away from Akaashi were anything to go by. Akaashi thought about the possibilities while turning his attention fully to his teammate. Maybe the interaction between Kuroo and him had triggered something unpleasant in the ace? Or he had suddenly remembered some sad or scandalizing thing, like that one time he started to cry in the middle of the practice? Or, maybe, he was upset because "his bro" had touched Akaashi in such a way...? _No, that couldn't be true, sure Bokuto-san and Kuroo-san are close, but they wouldn't be - couldn't -_

Akaashi forced his mind in check. "Bokuto-san, are you alright -"

"I'm fine!" Bokuto snapped. "Just continue, whatever!"

The setter suppressed a sigh - whatever the reason was, the unpleasant feelings seemed to be enveloping his captain. _It's pointless trying to pry the cause of his distress when he's in that state of mind. I need to just wait for him to calm down so we can perhaps discuss this later_ , Akaashi concluded. _For now, it's favorable to do as Bokuto-san says and continue on with the game_.

Akaashi looked at the other boys.  Sarukui was congratulating the-pain-in-the-ass-san of his "good try" against the second year; Konoha, Komi and Tora were snickering and throwing in some "good points" and Lev was asking Yaku whether their captain was having a flu because hey, didn't his voice sound quite weird just a moment ago? No one was directly paying attention to Bokuto and his sulking, but Akaashi didn't miss the subtle glances his teammates sent his way as if saying "we trust you", which basically meant they put Akaashi in the charge of getting the ace out of his slump.

The Nekoma captain also looked a little put-off despite laughing. The middle blocker kept throwing glimpses at Bokuto, brows furrowing ever so slightly, in a way that made him look worried but also a little guilty.

This time, Akaashi let a sigh come out.

Surprisingly it caught Tora's attention. The spiker turned to the younger, grinning widely and totally missing the heavy atmosphere surrounding the setter and the captains.

"C'mon setter boy, do your trick! I wanna play soon too."

The second year just nodded, absent-mindedly thinking how that was probably the most pleasant nickname he'd gotten during the evening.

He turned to his ace.

 

 

 

 

"Bokuto-san."

Bokuto didn't move to look at the other - instead he huffed and crossed his arms to his chest even more tightly than before. The younger could have begged, all he cared. There was no way the Fukurodani captain was going to play everything off as if there was nothing wrong. Something was definitely _very wrong_.

"Bokuto-san."

How dared Kuroo touch _his setter_ that way? Or talk to him like _that_? And Akaashi brush it off like it was no big deal? Game or not, that just wasn't okay - how _could_ they act like it was?

"Bokuto-san."

And here Bokuto had thought his bro understood what Akaashi meant to him. Bokuto was supposed to be the one to use cool puns to woo Akaashi and give kisses to his perfect hair! ...wait what, he meant that _Kuroo_ wasn't supposed to do it, not that he himself was supposed to, but like, _no one else_ was either! It was just a healthy need to protect his underclassman from those filthy ones who tried to seduce the younger! Right? Right! It wasn't like he was crushing hard on his setter, _no_ , love was a forbidden topic and Akaashi just a very beautiful and talented and awesome friend who still had no right to act like everything was _just fine_ -

" _Bokuto_ -"

"What now?!" The Fukurodani captain snapped again, his fingers gripping his biceps in an angry manner, head turning furiously to look at the younger when -

_Oh my God._

All the anger left Bokuto's body in an instant. Akaashi was _so_ close. Bokuto's mind couldn't really crack when it had happened - not that he cared because _wow his brains didn't seem to work at all_ \- and wait, had Akaashi's eyes always been so captivatingly intriguing? Like, there were just so many tones and colors though there wasn't really much of any specific color just a dark beautiful ocean, and Bokuto felt like drowning but - _sweet Jesus_ , he didn't even _want_ to fight against it.  Unable to look away, unable to actually do _anything_ , Bokuto distinctly felt his mouth go dry, the tickling warmness taking over his facial skin and his palms sweating over his arms, but those usually unnerving bodily reactions weren't really taking his attention this time because - _how could someone be so beautiful?_

"Bokuto-san", the second year stated once again, and if he had sounded a little irritated before, there was none of it anymore. His tone was simply _serious_ , just like the way he looked at Bokuto dead in the eye, and oh God everything was just so _intense_  butt wait, _God_ , did Bokuto just feel something caress his knee? Something, like, probably _Akaashi's hand_? The captain wasn't sure whether he was breathing at all anymore - no, he must have accidentally stopped and been sent to heaven, he thought in a nearly frantic manner. Those capturing eyes made it plainly impossible for him to breath. Or blink. Or think. Or do _fucking anything_ other than being completely still.

Slowly, like in a dreamy haze, Bokuto registered that Akaashi opened his mouth again, ready to say something and _oh my God he was going to say something with his absolutely angelic voice coming from those perfect thin lips which belonged to the most beautiful person of the universe and the said person was looking at Bokuto with such a determination oh my God_ -

“I love you. Could you smile for me... Bokuto-san?”

Bokuto had his face buried behind his palms. They didn't really wholly cover the deep scarlet color of his cheeks, though. It was like every cell of his body was screaming but at the same time his brains had frozen - he did miss the worried tone Akaashi said his name with.

All he could hear were those three words.

Akaashi, in the other hand, didn't bother to keep the frown out of his face. He thought his confession had actually been pretty good; at least not one of those ridiculously over-exaggerated ones others had pulled off. There hadn't even being any offensive pet names or invasive touching, just a simple, quite platonic touch, closeness and the truth.

But since it was - for Bokuto at least - only just a game, why was the third year's reaction so worrisome?

"Bokuto-san, are you alright?"

Bokuto didn't really give him any clear verbal answer: the ace just outright _whimpered_. The sound was heartbreakingly small but still well heard in the weirdly quiet circle of boys. Akaashi was about to ask again when -

"Wow", Lev suddenly whisper to Yaku, not at all quietly, "is that what it looks like to be completely smitten?"

That seemed to be the last streak for Bokuto; the captain quickly got up and dashed out of the room, not caring about Akaashi's calls for him.

 

 

 

 

_Stupid Kuroo_ , Bokuto thought, trying desperately to keep himself from crying, _if he hadn't riled up Akaashi to take apart in the game this hadn't happened_. Bokuto sniffled loudly, feeling the pressure of the unshed tears and blinked in a rapid, nearly angry manner.

He could already see the way things would go next - hear the rejection  _"I don't feel the same way Bokuto-san"_ echoing in his ears. That was what he was going to get, in 100% certainty, because unlike him, the setter probably wasn't a spineless coward who awkwardly ran away from his feelings - he was blunt and honest enough to tell the truth. That was, quite frankly, one of the many things Bokuto admired in his underclassman. Bokuto knew Akaashi wouldn't leave him hanging on or turn his back on him. He'd give him space, yes, but never judge him, because that was the way the setter was.

 But how was Bokuto going to ever be able to look him in the eye?

He couldn't go back to being friends, not right away at least - he had tried to make himself believe that he could but he just... couldn't. The past few weeks had already been hard enough, but at least he'd had this tiniest bit of hope that _maybe_ Akaashi would return his feelings if he ever got the guts to confess.

Now that the hope was shattered, he felt like never leaving the cold, hard toilet floor he was currently lying on.

_I can't risk running into Akaashi_ , Bokuto thought and this time, he couldn't stop the quiet sob that broke through him _, I need to quit the school. And the volleyball. Move somewhere far away and try to forget all about those clever remarks and shared lunches and perfect tosses_ -

Before the third year could swell more on his lonely sadness, the bathroom door opened.

The air caught in Bokuto's throat mid-breath as he heard the steps getting closer to his cubicle. He squished his watery eyes shut, as if not being able to see would make him invisible too, and tried to keep as still as possible. _God, if you are somewhere up there, please let it not be Akaashi._

"Bokuto-san", his underclassman stated, "I can see your feet under the door."

The captain felt like his heart was pulled down the toilet.

_Of course it is Akaashi._ He curled up even tighter to himself in his fetal position, not caring about the awkward angle his neck and left shoulder were posing, while trying to keep his uneven breathing light and quiet. Maybe Akaashi would leave when he realized that Bokuto wasn't planning on answering.

A sigh was heard from the other side of the bathroom stall's door; then the third year captain's ears caught shuffling and a thump. Akaashi had sat on the floor.

Well, maybe he'd been too optimistic about the setter leaving.

"Bokuto-san", Akaashi's voice sounded unusually small, "I'm sorry."

Bokuto couldn't keep a little sob from making its way out of his throat. Of course he'd known it'd lead to this - Akaashi apologizing and rejecting his romantic feelings - but still it made it hard to breath. The third year cried as soundlessly as he could, praying for the tears to stop. The whole mess was horrible enough without him also losing the last pieces of his pride by crying in front of the setter when the other had already been troubled by him so much.

"I didn't intent to make you upset with my confession", Akaashi stated, "and I am very sorry for making you uncomfortable.  I... I hope we can still stay friends despite my feelings."

At the point Bokuto was openly crying. Here he was, lying on the dirty bathroom floor, making his setter and underclassman sound so uncharacteristically  broken. All because he couldn't keep his crush to himself, no matter how hard he tried.

"You know Akaashi, there's no need for you to apologize for not liking me", the Fukurodani captain choked out of his mouth with anything but a happy laugh. "Please just leave."

On the other side of the door the setter frowned. "What an earth are you talking about Bokuto-san?"

Bokuto's mouth drew a strict line out of frustration; all the crying had made him feel drained and he really wasn’t up to having this conversation now. 

"What didn't you understand? It's not your fault you don't have feelings for someone like me. It makes me feel like shit that you apologize for it. I know you're worried about our friendship and volleyball but I'd really like to cry and be alone for a moment so just -"

"But it's the opposite", Akaashi interrupted, the wrinkle between his browns deepening, "I am apologizing because I do like you. Not only as a friend and a teammate, but also in a romantic and sexual way." The second year took a deep breath; now he had said it for the second time in a quarter already. This continuous confessing really wasn't good for his sixteen years old heart. "I am sorry because I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

Bokuto nearly hit his head on the toilet seat. "What? But - I - I am the one being rejected! You don't like me and - and - I love you so -"

"What?" The younger interrupted again. _Just... What?_ "But I just confessed, twice. And you ran away after Lev pointed out my feelings."

Bokuto's crying was on the verge of turning into a hysterical, unbelieving laughter. "Po-pointed out _your_ feelings?! He was talking about _me_! Even though it was just a game, I was red as a tomato when you confessed! Of course he was talking about me!"

"Oh", Akaashi stated. He was so startled with the sudden turn of events that he didn't even have time to think about Bokuto's ability to really make everything, even the second year's awkward confession, to be all about himself.

"But it wasn't just a game for me."

In the stall, Bokuto was having hard time to trust his ears and even harder to comprehend the things he heard with them. He slowly pulled himself to a sitting position - not minding the toilet seat, this time lightly hitting his head with a yelp - and stared at the locked door intensely, as if he'd be able see Akaashi through it.

"Y-yeah", the third year stuttered and gulped before continuing, "so, you really do...like like me?"

Hearing the hopeful words of his captain, Akaashi felt, quite simply, more stupid than ever during his young life. No - stupid was too mild of a word - he felt completely _idiotic_. He, the second year vice captain of the Fukurodani Academy volleyball team, who took pride on his observation and analysis skills, had been ridiculously blind to the possibility that his upperclassman could actually _return_ his feelings.

Well, he guessed the intimate feelings never were his strong suit. At least when it came to the non-platonic ones he held towards his captain.

"Yes, I do", he answered, deciding to just confess for the _third time_ to get this over with. He didn't like the fragile tone Bokuto's question had held.

For once, Akaashi wasn't prepared for Bokuto's abrupt change of mood. There was half a second of still silence; the next moment, the Fukurodani captain had thrown open the bathroom stall's door and tackled the younger to the ground, screaming his name. Lying under the sink with his crush's strong arms around his frame ( _very attractive_ strong arms, a voice in Akaashi's head added), the setter absentmindedly praised himself for sitting far enough from the cubicle to avoid having the door opened to his face. Slowly, Akaashi moved his hands to Bokuto's back and patted him there.

The other was still shouting.

"I can't believe this, Akaashi, do you have any idea how long I've been dreaming of this - Akaashi, you really like me! Like, like like? Akaashi! Keiji? Keiji! Keiji, I like you too, you're so amazing! ...I can call you Keiji, right? Right?! This means we're going to be boyfriends! Keiji! I'll be an awesome boyfriend because you only deserve the best and I - Whoa, I can't believe this - HEY, I really am the best to get you to fall for me ain't I?! HEY HEY I got the most talented and beautiful setter in the whole Tokyo to love me -"

"Bokuto-san, please stop shouting in my ear", Akaashi muttered, hardly keeping the stutter away from his voice. Hearing his captain call him by the first name and proclaim that Akaashi loved the ace _while_ the setter was squished against the other's toned chest was, quite simply, too much to handle. Like, not just simply “too much”, but _way_ too much. Akaashi was pretty sure that his face was on fire at the point.

Still despite the embarrassment, too loud volume and the awkward position the setter's body was bent to, he couldn't force the nearly ecstatic warmth out of his chest. The thought of his captain really liking him was finally making its way to his brain. Bokuto was there, screaming that he liked him; Bokuto was there, embracing him, tightening his hold every few seconds, his breast pressed against Akaashi's frantically thumbing heart.

Still, the position really was quite unpleasant for his back.

"Bokuto-san, please let me back up", he managed a little louder this time.

"Oh yeah, sure! Sorry, Akaashi!"

Bokuto hardly gave the setter any more space while getting them both up; he kept his hold on the other, pulling Akaashi to his lap, not minding the younger's protests. No way he would let the setter go, finally being able to hold him in his arms! And tell him how much he loved him! Especially when there was a bright blush spreading over Akaashi's cheekbones despite his frown!

" ...Akaashi", Bokuto spelled gently, just feeling like saying the other's name aloud. It was such a pretty name, Akaashi. _Keiji_.

"Keiji", the captain whispered, his gaze never leaving the other's face. Bokuto was so happy; he felt more alive than ever before, even more than while spiking an amazing point or eating yakiniku or getting to nationals with his team. He watched in a infatuated haze how the younger's face turned even darker shade of red than before, and how Akaashi averted his eyes, muttering something about Bokuto letting him go, even though he wasn't making any attempts to get away from the older teen's arms. Bokuto's cheeks were starting to hurt because of his wide, radiant smile.

"Keiji", he repeated quietly, breaking the eye contact to push his face on the crook of the younger’s neck. Akaashi didn't really smell anything special - maybe slightly sweaty from the day's brutal practice - but Bokuto loved the feeling of the skin underneath his nose.

"Bo… Bokuto-san", the setter said breathlessly, dazzled by the affectionate way the other was touching him. Still, he didn't want his upperclassman to find out him being somewhat ticklish - he knew that he'd be doomed the day that happened. "Please stop."

"Oh?" Bokuto smirked, mistaking the younger's efforts not to squirm under the slightly tickling touch for the pure embarrassment. Still, the setter didn’t have time to be too happy about it since apparently when given the rare opportunity, his captain was feeling like teasing the younger anyway.

"Maybe I will if you call me by my first name."

A frustrated whimper nearly escaped Akaashi's lips.

He hardly called anyone outside his family by the first name, but even though it was something he wasn't used to, it usually wasn't that big of a deal for him either. But to call his crush of over a year by his first name while the said crush was embracing him and breathing to his neck? Completely another story.

Anyhow, if there was something the setter was expert in, it was weighing options and choosing the least unappealing one in a blink of an eye. And in this situation, the struggle of saying Bokuto's first name was smaller inconvenience than the consequences of risking the captain finding out his ticklish tendencies. (Telling Bokuto off was out of consideration - that would probably result with the older teen feeling down. And Akaashi really didn't want to upset the other at the moment.)

"Kou... Koutarou-san", the second year muttered with a small voice. He could practically feel the energy sparkling through the older male, when the other quickly pulled his head up to look  at Akaashi with stars in his eyes, ready to burst out screaming the younger's name.

"If you try to make me deaf again with your unnecessarily loud voice, I won't toss to you for the rest of the camp, Bokuto-san", the setter deadpanned quickly, not giving time for the other to start fawning over him. The third year whined ("Akaaaaashi, don't be mean!") though it wasn't too convincing with a thousand volt smile spread over his face. The younger tried to be pleased with getting some kind of control over the situation, but it was pretty difficult with the unwanted blush still invading his cheeks. He coughed.

"As you mentioned already, Bokuto-san, I would be very pleased to be your boyfriend. Anyhow, I think we should -"

"YES! I'M THE LUCKIEST GUY EVER, AKAASHI KEIJI WILL BE MY BOYFRIEND!" Bokuto roared, nearly knocking the setter back to the ground by the force he  hugged the other with. "I'll be the best boyfriend ever, you just wait Keiji! I'll spike all your tosses and buy you those weird shirts you like and make you nanohana no karashi -"

"Maybe better you don't, Bokuto-san, I doubt your parents would appreciate you in their kitchen after that one time you tried to make onigiri -"

" HEY, it isn't my fault the rice catches on fire easily -"

"Actually, you're the only person I've heard of being able to do so -"

"ANYWAY my point is that I love you more than anyone! You're awesome, I'm awesome and together we'll be the best!" Bokuto declared proudly, ignoring the younger's comment while squeezing Akaashi tighter. "Besides, I'm the most romantic guy ever! I even wrote a love poet of my feelings for you!"

In an instant, Akaashi's nearly calmed face turned back to an alarming shade of red. He tried to hide his embarrassment with a cough, averting his eyes from his upperclassman.

“Is that... so”, he muttered, for once being out of clever remarks. The topic of romantic affection and displaying it was quite - read completely - unknown area for him, and he was pretty awkward about it all. Though maybe he didn't mind the awkwardness if it was for Bokuto.

_When did I become so cheesy? Dear lord._

Bokuto took the younger's mumble as an encouragement to tell more. “Yeah! I worked pretty hard with it, to be honest”, he proclaimed, puffing his chest and holding his head up high, before deflating a bit. Frowning, the captain added: “Though Kuroo laughed at me when I read it to him. No wonder he's so lonely and desperate that he needs to pitifully flirt with others' setters, since he's so blind to romantic things.”

Akaashi stopped his senior before the other started to talk about the exact content of his poet or the Nekoma captain's non-existent love life.

"I'm sure your poet is more emotive than anything Kuroo-san or I could have ever written, Bokuto-san. Furthermore, shall we go back?” the younger tried to get back the pieces of his composure and pride, though the furious blush hadn't yet left his face completely.

Bokuto took a moment to observe the setter's face while helping himself and the other back to their feet. Seeing the younger blushing, stuttering and been so worked up _all because of him_ , was more than Bokuto could have ever dreamed of. Now he didn't need to think about others making fun of him when he was caught not-so-subtly staring at the younger's muscular thighs or pinkish lips or perfect eyes or just the setter in general. Now he could ask his underclassman to hang out with him all the time without it been questioned, get to learn all those new, little and big things about Akaashi, hug the setter tons of times a day and perhaps Akaashi would let him pet his hair too and _maybe_ , some time, he'd even get to kiss him and -

"Bokuto-san?"

Dragged back to present by Akaashi's voice, Bokuto smiled. Maybe the children's camp games weren't that bad after all, and maybe he should even thank Kuroo for getting the setter to participate in one. The captain didn't let go of the younger's hand.

"Let's go, Keiji."

**Author's Note:**

> "That's what I already suggested earlier, Bokuto-san."
> 
> "Keiiiiji! Let me sound cool!"
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> (“500 yen for them coming back hand in hand.”
> 
> "Hah, 1000 for them not coming back at all and us finding them being all lovey-dovey cuddling in the gym in the morning."
> 
> "1500 for us finding them in a janitor's closet -"
> 
> "Shut up, Sarukui."
> 
> "...I didn't even say anything inappropriate yet.")


End file.
